For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
See also: In The Military
Reserves called to duty
have health benefits rightsQuestion: I am being called to active duty and have questions about my employer-provided pension and health benefits. Where can I get more information about my benefits?
Answer: The Department of Labor Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) has information for veterans, National Guard or reservists who may be activated for military service. National Guard and reserve members called to active duty, and their civilian employers, have certain rights and responsibilities under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. VETS has developed a fact sheet and an interactive computer program, the USERRA Advisor, which address the rights and responsibilities of individuals and their employers under the law. These tools, and other USERRA information, can be found on the VETS Web site, www.dol.gov/vets.
Q: I heard about a program that allows disabled veterans to participate in winter sports such as skiing. Can you explain more about it?
A: There is a program known as "Miracles on a Mountainside," National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, that is sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Disabled American Veterans each year. This year's clinic was held March 31 to April 5 hosted by the Grand Junction, Colo., VA Medical Center and VA's Rocky Mountain Network. It was held in Snowmass Village at Aspen. This rehabilitation program is open to all U.S. military veterans with spinal cord injury or disease, certain neurological conditions, orthopedic amputations, visual impairments or other disabilities, who receive care at any VA facility. At the clinic, disabled veterans learned adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing, and were introduced to a variety of other adaptive activities and sports, such as rock climbing, scuba diving, snowmobiling and sled hockey. The U.S. Secret Service also participated by teaching self-defense.
For further information about the clinic and how to participate in next year's event, contact Annie Tuttle, VA public affairs coordinator, (970) 923-2000, ext. 375.
If you have questions about your benefits as a veteran,
call Fred Ballard at the Veterans Affairs at 433-0049
or visit the VA Web site at www.va.gov/hawaii
or the Star-Bulletin at 529-4747.Gregg K. Kakesako, who covers military affairs for the Star-Bulletin,
can be reached by phone at 294-4075
or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.